The Upper End of Little Cottonwood Canyon, Wasatch Range, near Ogden, Utah (1879)

Thomas Moran's 1879 watercolor, *The Upper End of Little Cottonwood Canyon, Wasatch Range, near Ogden, Utah*, offers a fascinating glimpse into the rugged beauty of the American West. Known for his remarkable ability to capture the sublime essence of nature, Moran's work in this painting is as evocative as it is detailed.The painting showcases a landscape dominated by the angular and towering features of the Wasatch Range. The viewer's eye is drawn along the sinuous lines of mountain paths and rock formations, which Moran delineates with subtle gradations of color and texture. The soft hues of greens, grays, and browns suggest the barren beauty of this high-altitude terrain while conveying a sense of the immense scale and untouched wilderness.Foreground details include patches of snow and jagged rocks, enhancing the feeling of remote desolation. Above, the sky is a wash of pale blue and white, suggesting a thin, crisp atmosphere and perhaps the chill of high elevation. Notes and annotations perhaps added by the artist himself lend an intimate, journal-like quality to the piece, making viewers feel as if they are peering directly into Moran's personal observations of the scene.This watercolor not only provides a window into the picturesque landscapes that inspired much of Moran’s work but also reflects the broader 19th-century American ethos of exploration and naturalism.